A 25-YEAR-OLD woman was cleared of careless driving after magistrates accepted that she had no control of her car during a bout of sneezing.

Dolgellau magistrates heard that Mari Emlyn, of Capel Helyg Farm, Llangybi, Pwllheli, was driving her Vauxhall Corsa on the A470 towards Blaenau Ffestiniog on June 2 last year when her car crossed the white line on a hill near Talwaenydd and collided with a BMW car.

The driver of the BMW, Dr Shekar Nagaraj, told the court that he sustained chest, knee, leg, back and whiplash injuries.

Emlyn, who had pleaded not guilty to careless driving, claimed she was travelling at 40mph and had a bout of sneezing. “There was nothing I could do to avoid the collision,” she said.

Defence solicitor Carys Parry cited cases in law where motorists had been cleared of driving offences when the driver had a bout of sneezing and there was a clear defence of automatism.

Following the accident the defendant was treated by paramedics at the scene.

Paramedic Karl Anthony Williams confirmed to the magistrates that the defendant had stressed from the start that she had a bout of sneezing.

Mrs Parry said that although traumatised by the crash her client clearly stated that the bout of sneezing was the reason for the crash.

“Many motorists plead not guilty to avoid penalty points or a disqualification. My client has a clean driving licence. Her defence has been consistent and she is paying for her own defence,” she said.